Recap: Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger, Episode 38 – Steadfast Idol Debut

The Ohgers are confused when they watch Rita participating in Dagded’s idol survival program as contestant Rittan. Morfonia explains to them that Goma had switched the hearts of the prisoners of Gokkan and made right their wrongs as well as control them to do what they are told. Because of that, Rita said there is no longer any need for her so she left to investigate the other Jesters. That’s when Dagded and Minongan arrived to get the audition program up and running, including building a brand new arena for the competition.

Yanma and Kaguragi leave to return to their kingdoms and Gira warns them not to take advantage of this new judge-less world.

Rittan goes on stage for the first round of the competition which is dancing. Gira, Hymeno and Morfonia are shocked to see Rittan tear up the stage with her awesome moves. The crowd goes wild for her. And judges Minongan, Goma and Moffun put her through to the next round. Rittan thanks them so much and the crowd cheers for her.

Meanwhile, Jeramie does some digging in Rita’s office and finds a small handmade Moffun inside the big Moffun. He finds Rita backstage and says he’s figured it all out. She wants to become a popular worldwide idol in order to hopefully find her parents whom she had been separated from when she was a child. Rita says he is absolutely wrong. Her parents are alive and she sees them often.

Having eavesdropped, Hymeno decides to go snoop around as well and finds childhood drawings of Rita wanting to become an idol. She shows Rita who says it was merely just a childhood dream. But Hymeno thinks it is because Rita craves the popularity and wants to become a well-loved popular king like her. Hymeno offers to become her manager. But Rita says Hymeno is totally wrong and she’s just working undercover to investigate the Jesters. Hymeno patronizes her.

Minongan visits Rita while practicing and asks why cover her face if she wants to become an idol. He knows it is her shield as a judge to remain firm and hide her true self. Rita is shocked he has completely read her. But MNG says he understands because he is the same.

Minongan has Goma teleport idol Iko Marina in, but she gets sent back anyway after she gets too excited about being in a toku production. Anyway, MNG tells Rita the last round will be singing.

MNG asks Rita to show them all who she really is. She asks everyone to stick with her and then delivers a bright Moffuntastic performance. She gets a standing ovation and Minongan says it’s time for her to show what can really do.

Hirubiru pops up and MNG suggests a performance battle to see who will be the center of the new group.

While Hirubiru is preoccupied with winning Produce 101: Chikyuu Edition, Yanma and Shiokara sneak in to take back the Ultra Computer. Shiokara asks if Yanma is okay with going to jail again for an Ultra Computer and he says sure.

Meanwhile, Hirubiru wins PD101 and Minongan waves the performance arena away. MNG says he’s disappointed in Rita. But Gira arrives with a Moffun book showing him flying away when he felt unneeded anymore. He believes Rita feels the same way, especially as Chikyuu has fallen into chaos without law and order, of which Rita represents.

Gira asks Rita to go back to the way she was. Minongan scolds Gira and says to let Rita be who she wants. But Morfonia says that no one gets Rita. Rita doesn’t have to change for anyone, especially when her personality contrasts with everyone’s selfishness and greed. Morfonia says everyone may hate Rita, but she will never. And she will always stay with her.

Rita puts hear face in her hands and then screams that everyone has got it all wrong. It’s just as she’s been saying all day. This was just an undercover operation to learn more about the Jesters. And thanks to them all, it has failed.

Rita has had it with this stealthy strategy and instead decides to henshin and just take on Minongan and Goma head-on. She is resolved in bringing them to justice. After she delivers a finisher, Minongan says his only wish is for her not to lose her bright personality.

Gira, Hymeno and Morfonia are ready to be thrown in jail. But Rita asks why they were so stubborn. They say it’s because they’re friends, so Rita says they’re not guilty.

Jeramie says they have no idea what Minongan was plotting. But Rita realizes that there might be another being inside of Minongan’s body.

Up in the playroom, Dagded says Minonagan’s failure is alright as long as he wanted to have fun while doing it.

Later, Morfonia says it’s okay for Rita to be her true self in front of her friends. Rita pulls down her collar to show her face and Morfonia smiles that it’s a sunny day.

Episode Thoughts

What was this episode? lol I was expecting a lot more considering how excellent Yanma, Hymeno and Kaguragi’s post-Kyoryu focus eps have been. Instead, we got Gira, Hymeno and Morfonia being annoying all day. Lol

I guess the best part of the episode was just Yuzuki Hirakawa being able to let loose and indeed show off her bright, real life personality this episode. The episode really showed what a great actress she is to be able to play Rita every week when she is basically the complete opposite in real life.

Honestly, people like Gira, Hymeno and Morfonia (and even Jeramie too) are so annoying to me. The kind of people who assume and think they know what you are feeling. There’s a difference between reaching out to someone and checking in on them versus whatever the hell they were doing this episode. lol Really pushy and presumptuous and even an air of pretentiousness too. Which I guess fits with someone like Hymeno’s character at least.

But anyway, I was quite satisfied with Rita screaming her frustration at them basically screwing everything up. And then the fact that Rita took care of the two Jesters herself as well. After the way they acted, I didn’t want the episode to give the others the satisfaction of being right. So thankfully, Rita was the boss we all know Rita to be.

There’s nothing wrong with her putting on a serious and stoic face when she’s a judge. And she’s a judge to all of Chikyuu, including her fellow kings. It’s not like she pushes them away or completely closes herself off to them. And there’s nothing wrong with enjoying Moffun in her own time as well.

So if the show wanted to talk about Rita being forced to have grown up fast and take on this cold personality for the responsibility of a judge, then sure. They did a little bit before. But the way this episode went about it, I think, was a disservice to Rita as a character and her story as well. She can absolutely want to be a J-pop idol, but she can hold off on that dream while they take care of the present threat. That is, Dagded wanting to exterminate the entire Chikyuu race. So present it as that instead of trying to make it seem like there’s something wrong with Rita and the way she is. (And no, not in the way Morfonia tried to do it which, again, was pushy and assuming. Which is in addition to her kind of judgmental view of her boss from time to time as well.)

So overall, the weakest so far of these backstory-focus-ish episodes. Rita deserved better. But satisfying in the way Rita came out on top anyway.